


Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Eternal Sword and Shield

by DONTSALTME69



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Genre: Action, Adventure, Canon-Typical Violence, Comedy, Evie and Kazuya are mlm and wlw solidarity, Gen, Gen 8 Mystery Dungeon, semi-graphic descriptions of injuries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:27:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22391758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DONTSALTME69/pseuds/DONTSALTME69
Summary: On the island of Crown, a group by the name of The Shielded have been plaguing the Pokémon that call Crown their home. It used to just be mischief, but the arrival of a human-turned-Glaceon has caused their actions to start escalating. And to make matters worse, she's after something powerful.It's up to Evie, a struggling artist turned Scorbunny, a martial artist Pikachu by the name of Kazuya, a Sobble named Wesley with a bright mind, and Stella the Rookidee to unravel the mysteries of the world and stop The Shielded.Arceus help us all.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 7





	1. Welcome, to the World of Pokémon!

A Pikachu strolled through the forest. He was sure some big glowy light had shined out here, and he was going to go check it out. Not like anything in the forest could even remotely threaten him, even if they wanted to pick a fight.

"All right, whatever you are, show yourself." His voice was a lot deeper than his stature suggested, a somewhat deep baritone.

And then he tripped over something, making any sort of coolness he had overshadowed by the fall.

"Watch where you're goin'..." The thing he tripped over mumbled.

It was a Scorbunny, and a female one at that (given the voice). She sort of flopped around, kinda like a Magikarp who had no idea where it had was and really tired.

"Are you okay?" The Pikachu asked, offering a paw to help the Scorbunny up.

The Scorbunny just stared at him for several seconds, leaving the Pikachu very confused.

"Are you suffering from a-"

"Pikachu!" The Scorbunny exclaimed, hopping up to her feet and tackling him to the ground. "Oh, you're so _cute_!" She added, hugging him and pinching his cheeks.

"Don't touch those-!"

And then the Pikachu let out an electric shock, zapping the fiery bunny and leaving her fur a mess. 

"This has got to be the strangest day of my life."

"Ow..." The Scorbunny groaned, before hopping right back onto her feet. "Sorry, it's just... You're Pikachu!"

"So?" The Pikachu tilted his head. It was adorable in the Scorbunny's eyes. "You're a Scorbunny. I'm pretty sure they're considered just as 'cute' as I am."

"I'm a what." The Scorbunny flatly asked, before proceeding to get uncomfortably close to the Pikachu, staring into his eyes.

"What the-"

"I'm trying to get a look at myself." The Scorbunny said, finally get the angle right to she had some light and saw what was. "I'm a Pokémon?!"

"I asked this before but, are you okay?"

"I'm supposed to be a human! Living in my tiny apartment, struggling to make ends meet because capitalism makes my art degree usele-" The Scorbunny paused, realizing what this meant. "I'm free!"

She ran around the clearing, leaving a trail of fire in her wake. "I don't have to worry about money anymore!" She cheered.

"I keep asking this and I know I'm not getting answer, but do you or do you not have brain damage?" The Pikachu questioned.

"Oh, no, I'm fine! Better than fine! I'm so fine, I could... _siiing_!" She said, getting ready to do a musical number. "But I won't. Because I'm bad at singing!"

"Right. So, Miss Scorbunny-"

"Evie." The Scorbunny interrupted. "My name is Evie."

"But you're a Scorbunny, not an Eevee."

"Evie with an 'i'."

"Whatever. Evie, what exactly are you going to do? While I'm not a doctor, I can say that you probably have brain damage and should see one. And if you're really a human, like the legends say, then you've probably been sent here for a specific reason. What is the last thing you remember?" The Pikachu asked.

Evie wracked her brain. "The last thing I remember is... going to a Subway to get a sandwich!"

"So, in other words, you know nothing that's helpful. Well, you're lucky I, the powerful master of the Volt Shock Fist, Kazuya, am here to assist you." The Pikachu, Kazuya, folded his arms. His attempts to be cool only came off as adorable. "Follow me."

* * *

Evie followed Kazuya out of the forest, to a big dojo on the edge of a town. The entire building had traditional Japanese stylings, with lots of red accents everywhere.

"This is the Machampion Dojo." Kazuya said, as they walked into a courtyard where a variety of Fighting-Types were busy training. "I was raised here by the master here, Machamp. He found me on the doorstep as an egg, and raised me like I was one of his own. Dad, I got someone who you probably want to see!"

A Machamp that was on the other side of the courtyard leapt hundreds of feet into the sky, landing next to them. And spooking Evie onto her rear.

"Kazuya, me boy! Where's the 'mon you want me to see? Is it your girlfriend?" Machamp asked.

"I mean, she is female and a friend." Kazuya remarked. "Meet Evie, the human turned Scorbunny."

"Hello, Machamp!" Evie bowed, and then did some silly karate pose. "I know this sounds crazy, but I used to be a human like Kazuya said, and then I got turned into a Pokémon. A Pokémon I don't recognize at that. Must be one of those Gen Eight rumored Pokémon or somethin'."

Machamp crouched down to whisper to Kazuya. "Is she okay?"

"Physically, she's fine. Mentally, she's an idiot."

Evie's ear twitched. "Anyone else here... ice cracking?"

Machamp instantly picked up the two, jumping to the side. A Flash Cannon blasted down the wall, which was partially covered by ice on what used to be the outside.

Three Pokémon marched in, wearing matching purple scarves with a shield emblem on them. A Glaceon, an Empoleon, and a Coalossal, all keeping their eyes on Evie.

"So, you got here as a weird rabbit." The Glaceon noted. "That won't save you. Penguin, minecart! Take care of the rat and the bodybuilder!"

"You got it, mistress!" The Empoleon and Coalossal saluted, rushing at Kazuya and Machamp.

"And stop calling me that! It's Marie!" The Glaceon added. "So, weird rabbit, any last words before I freeze you to your bones?"

"Do- do you know the names of any Pokémon?" Evie questioned.

"What's a Pokémon?"

"Let me guess, you used to be a human too, huh?"

"Astute observation. Now, die." Marie shot an Ice Beam at Evie, who narrowly ducked under it.

"Now it's my turn! _Flamethrower_!" Evie called out, before spitting out a puff of smoke. " _Great_. Can't use Flamethrower."

"If you're trying to make me feel pity, you're failing miserably. _Freeze_." Marie unleashed another Ice Beam, hitting Evie in the side. Despite the type advantage Evie had, it still hurt like heck. The left side of her belly was frozen over, making movement difficult and painful. Not backing down, Evie moved in as fast she could, and plain kicked Marie in the face as hard as she could.

While the Glaceon was cussing up a storm in her rage; wildly firing Ice Beams, Kazuya was keeping up with the Empoleon with surprising ease. He darted around a Flash Cannon, moving in for a Thunder Punch uppercut that shocked the Empoleon to his very core.

"How do you like that?" Kazuya taunted.

"Insolent- Die!" The Empoleon shot off a Hydro Pump, forcing the Pikachu to get moving. Kazuya sidestepped it, watching as the torrent of water sliced a rut into the ground. He moved in for another Thunder Punch, only to get a surprise Aqua Jet to slam him into the wall.

Machamp was the only one keeping up with his opponent, locking his lower arms with the Coalossal.

"You're pretty strong!" Machamp complimented. "It's nice to see someone where my extra set of arms is actually needed!" He added his upper arms to the push, forcing the Coalossal off-balance. He followed up by charging his left arms with power, swinging a wild Dynamic Punch that sent Coalossal flying out of the dojo's grounds.

Kazuya picked himself up, cheeks sparking with anger. Marie looked around, taking stock of her opposition. "You have impressed me. Penguin, we will be retreating. Tell minecart on our way out."

"You're lucky, kid." The Empoleon said, using an Aqua Jet to rocket away before anyone could give chase.

"We won!" Evie cheered, jumping up and down. And then the pain set in from agitating her frozen belly, causing her to collapse into the dirt. "Oww..."

"Of course we won. We've got Machamp on our side." Kazuya said. "Speaking of, Dad, could you carry her to our infirmary?"

"That'd be great, big muscle man..." Evie then passed out.


	2. A Lesson in the World

Evie woke up in a hay bed, bandages wrapped around her belly. There was a pack of hot water underneath the bandages, used to thaw out her side. "Ugh... what time is it?"

"Morning." Kazuya answered, sitting by the door. "That Glaceon's Ice Beam did quite a number on you, despite your resistance."

"So I _am_ a Fire-Type. I thought so. And for being a former human who's never heard of Pokémon before, she's hella strong."

"She's a human too?"

"Apparently." Evie shrugged, trying to get some of stiffness out of her shoulders. "And one who doesn't even know a single Pokémon's name. She called you, the mascot of the entire franchise, a weird rat."

Kazuya stared at her. "I'm the mascot of a franchise?"

"Right, so, in my world, Pokémon is a wildly successful franchise of video games, anime, card games, and toys. And a smartphone app called Pokémon Go where you go around catching Pokémon like you're Team Rocket." Evie explained. "Pikachu is the mascot, used by the protagonist in the anime and commonly available in the games. Except for Gen Five, for whatever reason."

"I still have no clue what you're talking about."

"Pokémon aren't real where I'm from and are just part of popular entertainment media. Pikachu is the mascot of the series, even if Clefairy was originally planned to be the mascot instead."

"That's... interesting. Totally doesn't make me question whether I'm real or not." Kazuya dryly remarked. "So, if she's human who isn't aware of this massively popular thing, what does that get us?"

"I don't know. It doesn't help us beat her, and we can't track down her identity. So, you have any clue who they were, like, as a group? Those scarves looked kinda snazzy."

"I'm fairly certain they're members of The Shielded." Evie's stare at him caused him to elaborate. "A band of mischief-causing idiots who've been making a mess of Crown for the past few months. They've never been that threatening, though."

"Until now, I presume."

"You got it. That Glaceon seems like she has some further plans beyond making a mess. So, where do we go from here?"

"Well, the typical thing the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon heroes did was join whatever Rescue Team-type deal was the thing in that game. What do we got here? Rescue? Exploration? The Expedition Society?"

"Rescue Teams and Exploration Teams have guilds here. So, you've got your choice. I've... been wanting to join one, but they need two Pokémon in order to form an actual team." Kazuya explained. "We could probably head out right now and form our team with whichever you prefer."

Evie stood up, wincing a little. Even with the treatment and the time since Marie's attack, her side was still a little frostbitten. "Let's go out! I'd like to get some fresh air while I think."

* * *

The main settlement of the Island of Crown was a fairly robust city named Avalon. The general architectural stylings were reminiscent of 19th century Britain, which really lent to a different look than the tiny villages Evie was used to seeing in the Mystery Dungeon games. She then wondered where all the Pokémon in Treasure Town actually lived.

"Welcome to Avalon." Kazuya said, grandly gesturing as they entered the main square. It was filled with all sorts of Pokémon and shops, and shopping Pokémon! "'Where you go to become a legend', as the town's motto proudly states."

Evie marveled at it all, especially the unfamiliar Pokémon. Rookidee, Skwovet, Yamper; among many, many others all walked around the square, going about their daily business. "It's beautiful..." She said.

"I guess it is a nice sight. All varieties of Pokémon, going about their days together without a care in the world." Kazuya remarked. "I wonder if there'll ever be a time where Rescue Teams and Exploration Teams aren't needed, where our world is at a true peace. You think that could-" He noticed that the Scorbunny had left hi side and ran off.

She was busy pestering a Snom, gushing about how cute he was.

"You're just so cute! With your little beady eyes, little butt face-" That remark got her blasted in the face with a Powder Snow.

Kazuya ran over, dragging Evie away before she could bother Snom any more. "I am so sorry for my friend's actions! She's new in town and extremely energetic!" He shouted from a distance, trying his best to hold Evie back as Snom rounded a corner and left her sight. The Pikachu sighed. "Could you please keep a low profile? Or at least, not bother any children?"

The Scorbunny pouted, crossing her arms. " _Fiiiine_. So, where're the Guilds?"

"Over by the coast. Follow me." Kazuya said, dropping down on all fours. "Race ya."

* * *

The duo skidded to a stop between two buildings, both sitting upon a coastal cliff. One was themed after Boltund, and was a small little shack that led directly into the cliff itself. The other was shaped like an Applin, and had a network of vine-like tube bridges hanging off the side of the cliff that led into various other Applin shaped rooms.

"I win!" Evie cheered, bouncing on her heels.

"As if. I was clearly ahead of you when we got here." Kazuya retorted.

"Nope! I win! Because I say so!"

"How old are you?"

"Twenty four."

"Months or years?" Kazuya remarked with a smirk. "Anyway, we're here. The Boltund themed one is the Rescue Team Society, founded and led by Guildmaster Boltund. And the Applin one is the Exploration Team Guild, founded by Guildmaster Flapple. So, which one are you interested in?"

"Exploration Team! I'm more likely to find answers on why I was turned into a Pokémon if I'm out and about exploring the world. Plus, the Explorers games were amazing."

"While I can't even begin to debate you on that second statement, you're not wrong on the first. And, if I were to be honest, going out and exploring our world sounds more appealing than staying in our tiny bubble and helping anyone who gets in trouble."

"Kind sounds mean when you put it like that." Evie pointed out.

"Let's just get going."

* * *

Going into the Exploration Team Guild, they found the first major room was for job listings. Bulletin boards featured listings for fetching lost items, escorting Pokémon through Mystery Dungeon's for fun, and taking down outlaws, all being perused by a variety of tough-looking Pokémon. Evie suddenly found herself nervous, realizing the kind of shoes she was going to have to fill. These titans were the Pokémon she was 'competing' with, for lack of a better term.

A Cramorant walked up to them.

"Ah, Kazuya." He said, with a voice that was very 'squawky'. It sounded exactly like what you would imagine a Cramorant's voice would sound like. "Are you actually going to form a team this time, instead of picking a fight with the biggest and toughest Pokémon you can find?"

Evie stared at Kazuya, before turning to Cramorant. "Yes, sir! Mister...?"

"Cramorant. I'm surprised you don't know me. I am a legendary explorer, who discovered many a Mystery Dungeon back in my heyday!" Cramorant laughed. It sounded very similar to a dying Wingull. "But I'm more curious about you, Miss Scorbunny. We don't usually see many of your species here on Crown."

"Well, I just got here like, yesterday, so that's probably why. I'm Evie, and you apparently already know Kazuya. We're here to start an Exploration Team!"

"I guessed so. Are you two capable of basic battling right now?" Cramorant asked. Evie touched her side, not feeling pain for once.

"Should be?" She said.

"Good! Follow me, and we'll start your entrance examination!" Cramorant turned around, walking out towards what Evie guessed was probably a training room.

"Wait, we don't just get accepted straight off the bat?" 

"We have many recruits who are just too incompetent to make a proper team. This weeds out the ones who aren't up to the level we desire." Cramorant explained. "You will be battling me."

Evie and Kazuya looked to each other, worried. While both had confidence in Kazuya's abilities, Cramorant seemed stronger than he looked.

' _I have to do this! To uncover why I was turned into a Pokémon, I need to become an Explorer! Cramorant, you're goin' down!_ ' Evie thought, filled with determination.


	3. Entrance Exam

Cramorant led the two to a training room. It was just a decently sized room with a ring marked in chalk on the floor.

"The rules will be as such: You two will do everything you can to defeat me. I am not allowed to fly out of your reach, and you two are allowed to use any items you may have on hand, or claw, or paw, or whatever, to defeat me." Cramorant stated. "Tell me when you are ready."

"Kazuya, can you unwrap my bandages for me?" Evie asked. "I think I'm going to need all the mobility I can get. He's a Water-Type, right?"

Kazuya did as requested, taking off the bandages. "Water-Flying."

"Then you'll be on the primary offensive. I try to keep his attention off you so you can do as much damage as possible. This is gonna miserable, isn't it?" Evie said, shuddering. Getting hit with not very effective damage was one of the most awful experiences she's ever felt, and a full-force hit from a super effective attack from Cramorant? She might black out from the pain alone.

"If we can't beat him quickly." Kazuya said, finishing up on unwrapping the bandages. The fur that used to be on Evie's left side was pretty much all gone, frozen off from Marie's Ice Beam. The bare skin was somewhat discolored, far darker than it should be.

"Are you sure you're capable of battling in your condition?" Cramorant questioned, staring at that wound in horror. What sort of Pokémon was strong enough to induce frostbite in a Fire-Type? Or rather, who was willing attack someone so young?

Evie bounced on her feet, getting ready for the fight. The pads on her nose and feet warmed up, raring to go. "I'm good! Gonna warm up all that frostbite with some battlin'."

Cramorant frowned as much as one with a beak could. That was not how one treated frostbite. "Either way, I will let you two make the first move."

Evie lunged with surprising speed, using Quick Attack to tackle Cramorant. He merely flew up to dodge it, landing as Evie crashed into the wall behind him.

"Not that I will let you hit me." Cramorant added, flying to sidestep a Thundershock from Kazuya. Evie recovered from her crash, turning around and spitting up a volley of fireballs at him. Distracted by Kazuya's lightning, Evie's attack hit Cramorant's back.

It did... next to nothing, but it was still satisfying to our heroine. "How about that?" She taunted. And then Cramorant let loose at her with a Water Gun, forcing the Scorbunny to get moving lest she get drenched. He took off, moving as Kazuya attempted to close the distance for a Thunder Punch. Cramorant landed behind him and struck with a kick that sent him flying into Evie.

Both Pokémon crashed into the wall, groaning. "This isn't working out as well as I hoped." Evie muttered.

"Tell me about it." Kazuya said, picking himself back up. "You got any other ideas?"

"I'll hold him in place and you hit him with the strongest move you've got." Evie said. Kazuya nodded in understanding, dropping back down onto all fours in preparation to finish things in one last attack. Evie used a Quick Attack, darting around to Cramorant's behind and grabbing onto him. Cramorant didn't even bother struggling against the Scorbunny's grip, waiting for Kazuya to strike.

Kazuya became wreathed in lightning, charging at Cramorant as fast as he could for a full power Volt Tackle. Recoil didn't matter, nothing did. All that was left was to win. And that's what Kazuya was here to do. He jump, aiming to slam directly into Cramorant's head for maximum damage. Cramorant's response?

To open up his beak as far as it could, catching the Pikachu in his mouth. Evie let go, caught off-guard by the display. Cramorant spun around, spitting him out at the Scorbunny. Kazuya crashed into Evie in a daze, unable to continue battling. Evie felt electricity surge through her body, the effects of Paralysis.

"You cannot battle any further." Cramorant stated.

Evie forced herself to stand, feeling the electricity amp up for a moment before lightly receding. "I have to... I have to-"

"You pass the test." Cramorant added.

Evie passed out, partially due to her injuries, and partially due to her surprise.

* * *

The duo woke up in a pair of beds (actual beds, Evie noted with joy) inside the guild, with an Audino watching over them. "Oh, good morning! Well, afternoon, but I find that patients tend to respond better to 'good morning' when waking up over most other statements-"

"We get it." Kazuya groaned, sitting up. He saw Cramorant sitting on a comically under-sized perch next to the door.

"I believe that will be it for the moment, Nurse Audino. I wish to speak with these two in private." Cramorant said. Audino obliged with a small bow, leaving the room. "You two have passed the physical examination with... a fairly high grade. You both show great potential both in physical prowess and in ability to think on your feet. If it wasn't for Gulp Missile, you probably would have beaten me outright."

"Yes!" Evie cheered, jumping out of bed. And then groaning in pain. Kazuya slamming into her did a number on her body.

"But, I have to ask you both another question. Why do you want to become Explorers?"

"I want to travel the world and fight the strongest opponents the planet has to offer." Kazuya stated.

"Figured as much. And you, Miss Evie?"

"Well, it's sort of a secret, so could you please not tell anybody else?" Evie requested. Considering the hero of Rescue Team nearly got lynched, keeping less people in the loop sounded like the smarter idea.

"My beak is sealed." Cramorant made a gesture of zipping her beak shut with his wing.

"I was once a human. I wanna become an Explorer to figure out why I was brought here and turned into a Scorbunny." Evie said.

"That's what you meant by being 'new around here'." Cramorant said. "No wonder you didn't recognize me!"

And the freaky part? Pokémon are fictional where I come from, and I've never heard of even heard of Scorbunny or Cramorant. And I've memorized every Pokémon from Gens One through Seven."

"That... definitely does not give me an existential crisis or anything."

"Trust me, I know the feeling. Apparently I'm the mascot of the whole franchise." Kazuya said.

"Either way, you two are worthy of becoming Explorers. I assume you two have a team name picked out?" Cramorant said.

Evie and Kazuya remained silent.

"I see. Well, how about I show Evie around while Kazuya goes home to gather his things? That way, you two can individually think of names in the meantime? Once Kazuya gets back, we can introduce you two to Guildmaster Flapple to finalize your registration as an Exploration Team." He suggested.

"Works with me, I guess." Evie shrugged. "What about you, Kazuya?"

"Sure." Kazuya said, walking out.

"Is he okay?"

"Kazuya is a bundle of internal issues I couldn't even begin to delve into." Cramorant said. "I've known him since he was a Pichu, and he's never quite been... how do I put this? Satisfied with life. I think he still wants to find his parents."

"Huh. I should probably talk to him about it at some point, before it bites us both in the butt." Evie said.

"I hope you'll be able to get through to him. Machamp and I have made attempts to do so for years, with little to no success. Anyway, let us start the tour!" Cramorant said, gesturing to hop onto his back. Evie obliged. "We are currently in the nurse's office, operated by our lovely Miss Audino."

They headed out, walking past a mess hall. "Chef Morpeko runs the mess hall. She's quite the chef, in my opinion, if a bit of a perfectionist."

"It's rude ta talk about Pokémon behind their back, ya know." A girl said behind them, with a distinct Southern drawl in her voice. It was Morpeko, with globs of batter stuck in her fur.

"I was only speaking the truth." Cramorant said. "I'm fairly certain the reason you're covered in batter is because you blasted your latest creation after realizing you..." He sniffed Morpeko. "Added too much Pecha Berry to the mix."

"Dang, Ah always forget how good yer sense'a smell is fer bein' a bird." Morpeko said. "New recruit?"

"Yes. She's partnered with Kazuya, of all Pokémon."

"Huh. Never thought Kaz would ever find a partner that suited his sense of style. You fight a lot?" Morpeko asked, scrutinizing the Scorbunny.

Evie shrugged. "I mean, I've spent a good... third of my time battling since I got to Crown."

"Well, Ah'll be sure ta make something extra special, just fer you!" Morpeko said, heading back into the mess hall.

"She seems pretty cool." Evie said.

"She's also a horrifically competent battler." Cramorant added, before heading off. He stopped by a room with a big metal door surrounded by wires. "That's Dottler's lab. If you need some fancy gadget that only works for a single task, head to him."

Evie remained silent for several seconds.

"I'm surprised. I expected you to remark upon that."

"Oh no, I'm just waiting for Dottler to say something." Evie said.

"He's away on a mission right now, so I doubt he'll-"

"Afternoon." A nasally voice said from behind them. It was Dottler, holding a Wonder Orb with his claw. "I see we've got a new recruit. I am curious to see your growth alongside my own." He opened the door, heading into his lab, and then shut it.

"He's weird." Evie stated.

"Eccentric yet brilliant." Cramorant said. "Dottler may not get how to deal with others, but his genius has been quite the help as of late."

"The Shielded?" Evie guessed.

"Precisely. Their movements and actions have become... erratic recently."

Evie felt at her side, remembering her battle with Marie. "I know all too well."

"That's where that injury came from?" Cramorant questioned.

"A Glaceon, Empoleon, and a Pokémon that looks like a minecart attacked Machamp's dojo with the intent of killing me. The Glaceon... she said she was also a human."

"Intriguing. So, I can only guess that two different entities summoned you both here, for opposing purposes. One to bring light and peace, and the other to bring darkness and chaos." Cramorant theorized. "But I imagine you're far too exhausted to give it much thought right now."

Evie yawned. "Trust me, I'll be givin' all that stuff plenty of thought. What's left that I need to see?"

"I'll show you to the crew rooms when it's time to go to bed, you already know where the job listings are... all that's left is to speak with Guildmaster Flapple!"

Right on cue, Kazuya approached the two with a sack slung over his shoulder. "Looks like I showed up right on time." He remarked.

* * *

Evie and Kazuya stood before Guildmaster Flapple, who was... napping; curled up in a way that he just looked like a really big apple. He was a lot smaller than Evie had imagined, actually as big as she was.

"Um, Guildmaster Flapple?" Cramorant said. Flapple groaned, stretching his wings.

"Ugh, what is it, Crams?" He asked. His voice was... way deeper than you'd expect for his stature, even deeper than Kazuya's.

"We have two new recruits that wish to register their team."

"Oh. Well, in that case, hello there, Scorbunny and... Kazuya? You've finally found someone who suits your sensibilities." Flapple remarked. "I imagine that Crams has the paperwork mostly ready to go. You two decided on a team name yet?"

"I have." Kazuya said. "Flamberge."

"Ooh! Clever." Evie remarked. "Sword that's named after fire to go against The Shielded."

"Not a bad name, in all honesty." Flapple said. "Anywho, Crams, grab the starter kit and show the kids to their room. I wanna get back to sleep."

Cramorant passed the two a bag from a treasure chest in the room. "Contains all your typical Exploration Team needs: A Wonder Map, a pair of Explorer Badges, and a Treasure Bag stocked with some supplies to start you off."

* * *

After that, Cramorant showed them to their room. It was fairly small, with a pair of hay beds for the two to sleep in (Evie guessed it was because it was the only thing that worked for all types of Pokémon).

Evie laid down in her bed that night, looking up through the room's skylight to see the stars.

' _This is like the stuff of dreams! Not only am I the cutest Pokémon I've ever seen, but I'm an official member of an Exploration Team! And the... co-leader! At least, I'm pretty sure that's what we're going_ _with._ ' She yawned. ' _I should prolly get some sleep. Got a big day ahead of us tomorrow._ '


	4. Team Flamberge

_When Kazuya was gathering his things (mostly just his black belt and a couple of other assorted things), Machamp came into his room._

_"Hey, Kaz." He said. "There's... something you should know."_

_Kazuya's ear pricked up, signalling Machamp to go on._

_"I... knew your mother." Machamp said. "Raichu was one of the greatest explorers I've ever seen, and I had legitimately fallen in love with her. She chose her best friend, Persian, over me, and they continued exploring together. Even had an egg."_

_"Where are you going with this?" Kazuya questioned._

_"One night, your parents came to me with said egg, telling me that they were going on an extremely important mission, and told me to look after the egg." Machamp looked down. "They never came back."_

_"Why are you telling me all this now?"_

_"Because, I have a feelin'. A feelin' you're gonna find them somewhere, somehow. Just, don't lose sight of everything else. Evie's gonna need someone close ta her who'll keep her energy focused in the right direction."_

_Kazuya nodded in understanding. He was going to find his parents and uncover the truth behind why they disappeared all those years ago._

* * *

Kazuya shook his head. Why'd that memory have to come up now, in the middle of the morning cheer?

"Three! Smiles go for miles!" Evie cheered, alongside all the other Pokémon in the guild. It was a fairly decent sized crowd (what with most of them being back from their own expeditions), and Kazuya felt smaller than ever in it.

"Good to see you're all in high spirits once again." Cramorant remarked. "As you all may have noticed, we have two new apprentices in our midst. Team Flamberge, made up of Scorbunny and Kazuya."

The two walked up to Cramorant, standing at his side. "It's Evie, by the way. I hope to have a good time getting to know you all, and to become just as great as the greatest of you all!" Evie said.

"I know you all already know who I am, but here's to a fresh start." Kazuya said. "This I'll be learning with you guys, instead of picking fights."

A Furret approached them, violently shaking Evie's paw. "Oh, I am so glad to see two new rookies join our wonderful guild!" She said, not even realizing how much of a daze Evie was in. "I was the newest recruit, alongside my best friend, Wooloo, until you guys showed up! I'll show you everything I had to learn the hard way!"

She dragged them off, much to the bafflement of everyone else in the room. Wooloo sheepishly followed them, quietly saying an apology to Cramorant and Flapple.

"Well, that happened." Flapple said. "You all should get to work. Crams, go make sure Furret sets them up with a job they can handle."

* * *

Furret dragged Team Flamberge to the bulletin boards, looking through the listings.

"Is she okay?" Evie asked.

"Are you really the one who should be asking that?" Kazuya pointed out.

"She's fine." Wooloo said. His voice was youthful, a distinct contrast to Kazuya's baritone. "Just, excited to see some new rookies. And with her already limitless enthusiasm, she's in overdrive."

"Found one!" Furret declared, grabbing a listing off the board and handing it to Kazuya.

He read it aloud. "'Help, I lost my cane in the Burnt Cavern! Oh, won't somebody help me?! Mr. Rime'"

"Burnt Cavern sounds... really dangerous." Evie remarked.

"It's not." Wooloo said. "If you're not weak to Fire, you'll be more than fine to go in there. Mister Rime's an Ice-Type, so it would be a doomed effort for him to head in there."

"Well, that sounds pretty good! What do you think, Kazuya?" Evie asked, looking to her partner. He was definitely not paying attention, focused on something else.

"Yeah, sure." The Pikachu answered.

Evie marched off with Kazuya. And then she quickly ran back after realizing she forgot her Exploration gear.

Even with Evie's short return, Cramorant still managed to miss them.

"Where are Team Flamberge?" He asked.

"Went off to Burnt Cave to search for Mr. Rime's cane." Wooloo said. "Given Evie's energy, they're probably not stopping in Avalon to get any supplies."

"You sent them to Burnt Cave?!" Cramorant questioned, glaring at Furret.

"It ain't gonna be a problem for those two. I mean, me and Woolie go in there all the time and Woolie's weak to Fire." Furret said, not even noticing Cramorant's displeasure.

"You're also a fully-evolved Pokémon and Wooloo has actual battle experience." Cramorant pointed out. "Besides being attacked by The Shielded and my spar with her, Evie has never been in combat."

"Well, as much as I hate to say it, you're not gonna catch up with them in time to prevent them from getting in." Wooloo said.

"You're probably right." Cramorant said, sighing. He just hoped those kids would make it out fine.

* * *

Burnt Cave lived up to its name fairly well, with the (burnt orange) stone lining it charred from the occasional jets of flame that erupted out of the ground and walls. From what Evie could tell as they explored the first floor, the Pokémon were mostly low-level Fire-Types. Magby and Houndour in particular.

Evie (with the Treasure Bag slung around her shoulder) yawned, walking down the corridor with Kazuya following behind her. "So, uh, Kazuya."

"Yes?" Kazuya replied, keeping his guard up in case a Pokémon tried to ambush them.

"Cramorant and I were... talking."

"About what?"

"About you. I just want to say that if you ever need a shoulder to lean on, I'll be there for you."

Kazuya stayed quiet for a moment. "Thanks."

"So, I got a... question. Why did you decide to be my partner?"

"I don't know. Just... I felt a connection to you."

Evie snorted. "Like love at first sight?"

Kazuya laughed. "You wish. I'm swinging for the _other_ team, if you catch my drift."

And now it was Evie's turn to laugh. "Same here, Kaz. It's okay if I call you that, right?"

Kazuya shrugged. "Sure."

* * *

The cavern became hotter as they ventured inward, causing Kazuya to start sweating buckets.

"How can you be so upbeat?" Kazuya questioned. "I'm literally melting right now."

"Honestly, I thought Crown was a little _too_ cold outside." Evie admitted. "And heat never really bothered me, anyway."

Right on cue, a Magby rounded a corner and blasted our heroine with an Ember. The Scorbunny's ear set on fire, causing her to start running around like a Torchic with its head cut off while Kazuya took care of the threat.

"'Heat never bothered you', huh?" Kazuya remarked, as Evie patted down the flame to put it out.

She chose to respond by glaring at him.

* * *

They ended up finding Mr. Rime's cane in the deepest chamber, surrounded by lava. Evie picked the thing up, baffled.

"This thing is made of ice! How in the heck is it down here?" She questioned.

"Doesn't matter. Let's just get out of here and bring it back to him." Kazuya tapped his Explorer Team Badge, warping out. Evie did the same couple moments later.

* * *

Team Flamberge returned to the guild, where they found Mr. Rime and Cramorant waiting for them.

"Here you go, sir." Kazuya said, handing the cane to its owner.

"Oh, thank heavens!" Mr. Rime said, doing a little jig on the spot with his cane. "Without my cane, my entire act is ruined. What could I ever do to repay you kids?"

"Pay us?" Evie suggested.

"Mere money alone won't be enough to repay the debt I owe you two!" Mr. Rime firmly stated, before handing the duo about four thousand Poké. "That said, you kids do deserve something until I can determine what you should get as the real reward."

Evie stared at the money with a sparkle in her eyes, right as Cramorant swiped a portion of it. "And there's your share." He said, holding roughly ten percent of the cut.

"Huh. Thought you'd take, like, ninety percent." Evie remarked.

"Why would you ever think that?" Cramorant questioned. "We're a guild, not a pyramid scheme!"

"Just don't get hypnotized by the Cofagrigus, idiot." Evie muttered, much to everyone's confusion.

"Either way..." Mr. Rime said after a long silence. "Is there anything in particular you kids might want?"

"Hmm... maybe some matching scarves?" Evie said. "Like, red with sword emblems to mirror The Shielded's?"

"I will get right on it!" Mr. Rime said, tap dancing his way out of the guild.

Kazuya sighed. "Well, that happened."

And then a bell went off, alerting everyone that dinner was ready.

* * *

After an amazing dinner courtesy of Morpeko (it was a salad, but the best one Evie's ever had), Team Flamberge returned to their room to get some rest for tomorrow.

The duo stared up at the stars together, hopeful for what the future may come.

' _Our first mission, complete! Here's to hoping that it'll only be the first of many!_ ' Evie thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am open to suggestions for fellow apprentice teams!  
> My requirements are two Pokémon that aren't too powerful (fully evolved starters or psuedolegends for example, are off limits), a team name, and a basic description of their personalities. And try to keep them to stuff in the Galar dex. Not a requirement, but a preference.


	5. Outlaw

"Three! Smiles go for miles!"

With the guild's morning cheer over, the members went off to go handle their jobs for the day.

Except for Team Flamberge. They just stood there, waiting for Cramorant to assign them a mission for the day.

The bird in question sighed. "Wooloo!" He called.

Wooloo ran over, minus Furret. "Yes, sir?"

"Please show those two, particularly Evie, around Avalon and then return to give them a mission from the outlaw notice board." Cramorant ordered. "And please make sure it's an easy target."

"Something Furret wouldn't pick, got it." Wooloo nodded.

"Where is Furret, anyway?" Kazuya wondered.

"Cleaning the mess hall and Dottler's laboratory from top to bottom." Cramorant said. "I felt it would teach her discipline."

"'Discipline' and Furret are two opposing concepts." Wooloo remarked. "Anyway, we should probably get moving so we can get all this done before Furret finishes cleaning."

Kazuya nodded. "Lead the way."

* * *

Wooloo brought the two to the main square of Avalon, smiling at little as Evie admired the sights once again.

"You really aren't from around here, huh?" Wooloo said.

"You don't even know the half of it." Kazuya said. "Anyway, this is the main place everyone goes to buy stuff on Crown."

Of course, Evie had immediately started to wandered off to go explore (bother someone else). Kazuya grabbed her ear before she could go too far. "Don't wander off." He ordered.

Evie frowned. " _Fine_."

Wooloo chuckled. "I feel your pain, buddy."

They went up to the closest market stall. It was themed after Thievul, and was manned by the Pokémon in question. "Good morning, children. Welcome to Thievul's Bank." He said, bowing his head with respect. "If you have Poké, I will _gladly_ store it for you."

"Just don't skim off the top, alright?" Evie said, fishing the money Team Flamberge got from Mr. Rime out of the Treasure Bag. She handed over most of it, keeping some for spending later. "I'll know."

Thievul laughed. "I would never dream of it. Unless you were to... cross me."

Evie let out a humorless laugh of her own, unnerved. "Let's uh... move on."

Wooloo led them to a nearby stall, manned by a Greedent. "Howdy! Y'all must be the new kids mah daughter told me about. I'll store any items y'all don't need on hand."

"You sound like Morpeko." Evie noted.

"Well, Ah am her dad." Greedent said. "Make sure my darlin' doesn't get hurt, lil' Scorbunny."

"It's Evie."

"Anyway, y'all got anything ya need stored for a rainy day?"

Evie fished around in the Treasure Bag, coming up with... a Pecha Berry and some lint. "We really don't have much right now." She admitted. Greedent took it, stashing it... somewhere.

Wooloo then lead them off to the last major stall (that was manned, anyway), the ever-beloved Kecleon Shop. A Sobble was talking to the purple member of the Kecleon Brothers, asking about selling... something.

"I've never seen any stone like this." Purple Kecleon said. "Where did you find it?"

"It's, err... been in my family for the past... fifteen years or so?" Sobble said. His voice was quiet and youthful. "Found it a little while after the Darkest Day."

Evie peered over Sobble's shoulder, seeing that he was holding some weird black rock. "What's that thing?" She asked.

"Th-that's what I'm trying to figure out." Sobble said. "My parents found it on their last expedition before retiring to take care of me."

Evie grabbed the thing, bouncing it up and down with her feet. Sobble desperately tried to take it back, looking like he was on the verge of crying. Kazuya jumped over the Scorbunny, snatching the rock out of the air and giving it back to Sobble.

"Sorry. My partner is..." Kazuya trailed off, trying to think of a non-insulting way to describe her. "Excitable. It is an odd stone though. Probably not the best for keepie-uppie."

"Yeah, so, was I in your way?" Sobble asked. "I can come back later when you're don-"

"It's no worry." Wooloo said. "Misters Kecleon, Sobble, you two finish up your business."

Purple Kecleon nodded. "Anyway, my appraisal of your stone is... unknown. I can't rightfully purchase something like it without an idea of what it is. Keep a hold of it for now. Perhaps it will be-"

A Perrserker jumped in between them, stealing Sobble's rock and then running away.

"After him!" Wooloo ordered, giving chase.

"You okay, Sobble?" Kazuya asked, dropping down onto all fours. Sobble nodded. "Good."

Team Flamberge rushed off to catch up with Wooloo and Perrserker.

* * *

They ended up stopping on a beach, Perrserker getting fed up with the chase.

"Why couldn't you kids just leave me well enough alone?!" He questioned, turning around and baring his claws. Evie got a good look at him, noticing his purple scarf; featuring a shield emblem. "Now I'll have to shed some blood."

"You're part of The Shielded." Evie said, standing firm. Every part of her body was telling her to run, to get away from the Pokémon standing before her. "Where is Marie?!"

"You think I'm some sorta rat? I'm not gonna snitch on my friends. Come at me!" Perrserker ground his claws against each other, producing a horrific noise. Evie dropped to the ground, covering her ears in pain. Kazuya and Wooloo didn't quite go to the same extremes, but still felt the pain of that horrible sound.

[(Gym Battle - Pokémon Sword and Shield)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quYjN57Tycg)

Kazuya was the first to make a move, closing the distance to go for a Thunder Punch. Perrserker blocked the strike with a claw, swiping back and forcing Kazuya to step away. Wooloo rushed in just after with a Headbutt, knocking Perrserker a fair distance away. It didn't really do any real damage, but it gave Evie a decent opening to let loose with Ember to actually do some legitimate damage.

Perrserker picked himself up, slamming directly into Evie with a vicious Iron Head. She tumbled across the sand, dazed, as Perrserker rushed after her to continue his assault.

"Oh no you don't!" Wooloo shouted, firing off an Electro Ball out of his mouth to distract Perrserker. The Viking Pokémon swatted the ball away, giving Kazuya an opening to strike with a Brick Break that knocked the wind out of him. Perrserker growled in frustration, slashing at Kazuya.

The Pikachu jumped back, regrouping next to Wooloo and Evie. "He doesn't even seem to be fazed by our assault." He noted, keeping his focus on Perrserker.

"He's a Dark-Type, right?" Evie asked.

"Steel." Wooloo corrected. "Fire, Fighting, and Ground are his weaknesses."

"So, Kaz should focus on using Brick Break when we give him an opening, I'll pepper him at range with Ember, and you be our tank and keep him distracted?" Evie suggested. "Everybody good with that?"

"A good a plan as any." Kazuya said. "Let's go!"

Wooloo charged in with another Headbutt, slamming into Perrserker. Evie jumped over to fire off another Ember, forcing Perrserker to dodge. Right into Kazuya's fist, who struck with another Brick Break. Perrserker swiped at him, only to get a blast of fire for his trouble courtesy of Evie. Wooloo tackled him again, keeping him off-balance.

Perrserker let out a deafening Screech, trying to get these kids to stop attacking him if only for a moment. "That's _it_! I'm going to tear you all to shreds!" He charged up power for in his mouth.

"That's Hyper Beam!" Wooloo exclaimed. "Move!"

Evie stood there, frozen in fear. She was in over her head, fighting against opponents she couldn't even hope to beat. Perrserker unleashed his Hyper Beam, firing straight at her.

"Evie!" Kazuya shouted, jumping into the blast's path. He took the Hyper Beam head-on, shielding his partner with his body.

Kazuya still stood, somehow, covered in burns. Patches of fur were mussing, exposing skin that has clearly seen better days. "That all you... got?" He questioned, before collapsing. He was still alive, thankfully.

Evie stared down at her best friend, before turning her focus back to Perrserker with a fiery glare. " _You_." She hissed. Evie rushed in, completely abandoning her own strategy in favor of getting payback. Her foot burst into flame, giving her following kick more than enough power to hurt Perrserker. Perrserker barely managed to avoid the first Blaze Kick, only to get hit with a second out of nowhere from the Scorbunny. Wooloo snapped out of his horror at Kazuya's quick defeat in time to join in with an Electro Ball to Perrserker's back to give Evie an opening for a third Blaze Kick that finally knocked Perrserker out.

Of course, Evie didn't really noticed and continued kicking him while he was down.

* * *

Team Flamberge and Wooloo returned to the guild with Perrserker in tow. While they weren't entirely certain, it was likely he was an outlaw and would count for their assignment.

"You- you three beat Perrserker?!" Cramorant exclaimed in shock.

"It was mostly those two." Wooloo said. "I just backed them up while they did the heavy lifting."

"At least you were standing when the fight was over." Kazuya said. "That Hyper Beam hurt. Evie, please start dodging from now on."

"Sorry. It's just, I got scared. I thought I was gonna die for a moment." Evie said. She was holding Sobble's rock, not even bothering to play with it. "Anyway, we should probably get this thing to Sobble before he gets too worried."

"I, uh, have been here the whole time." Sobble's voice said. He uncloaked himself, appearing in front of everyone. "Thank you so much for recovering my... whatever that thing is!" He hugged Evie.

"No problem-!" Evie squeaked out. Sobble had a surprising amount of strength for his size. "Could you please let go?"

Sobble quickly released her, frantically apologizing.

Evie giggled. "You don't have to apologize. Trust me, I probably would've done the exact same thing if I were in your shoes. Err, feet."

"How could I ever repay you two?" Sobble asked.

"You don't have to." Kazuya said. "You were in need and we helped you. That, is its own reward."

"Where'd you get that, a self-help book?" Evie remarked.

"Machamp taught me that one."

"Well, I feel like I can't just let you guys off without some sort of... recompense." Sobble said. "Mister Cramorant, could I, maybe, err... join their Exploration Team?"

"Are you sure you want to do so?" Cramorant asked. "Being a member of an Exploration Team is a lot of work."

"I'm certain."

"Well, welcome to the team, Sobs." Evie said, hugging Sobble.

* * *

That night, Team Flamberge (now featuring Sobble) sat in their room.

"So, I had a question." Sobble said. "You two always use your personal names. Why?"

Kazuya sighed. "Long story short, I want to prove myself as the strongest. And in order to do so, I need a name of my own."

"Well, it's sort of a thing I'd like to keep secret, but you probably should know." Evie said. "I used to be a human."

"Evie's a human?!" Furret exclaimed, standing right outside the doorway. She fell over, flopping into view. Wooloo sighed.

"Sorry about that. You know how Furret gets." He said, dragging her back to their room. "Time for bed, Furret."

"Right, so, do you have a name of your own?" Evie asked. "'Cuz it'll get really confusing if we ever meet another Sobble."

"Wesley." Sobble; or rather, Wesley, said.

"Well, Wesley, welcome to the team." Evie said, smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gym Battle is Evie's theme. Given its energy, I think you can piece together why.


	6. An Important Announcement

"Three! Smiles go for miles!" The guild members cheered.

"And with that done, we have a special announcement." Cramorant said. "We have decided upon a destination for our next expedition!"

Flapple smiled, taking over. "Everybody, open up your Wonder Maps."

Evie pulled the Wonder Map out of the Treasure Bag. She realized this was her first time actually looking at the map, and found out just how small Crown actually was. Based on its comparative size of the rest of it to Avalon, Crown was roughly one hundred square miles of land. For the most part, the map was clouded over with the exception of some smaller islands around Crown.

"Down south of us is an island made of metal, Rust Isle." There were a few shocked gasps as Flapple spoke, much to Evie's confusion. "Yes, one of the islands involved with the Darkest Day. That said, it's still unexplored territory for us. We'll be announcing who gets to go on the mission in the coming weeks."

And then Flapple went back into his room to go to sleep, leaving Cramorant to pick up from the slack.

"Yes, well, for now, just do your best on your jobs!" Cramorant said.

* * *

Team Flamberge (now joined by Wesley the Sobble) and Team Fuzzball (Furret and Wooloo's team) were out in Avalon an hour later, getting ready for a joint mission together.

"So, I had a question." Evie said.

"Shoot." Kazuya said, stretching. Wooloo and Furret were busy buying stuff from the Kecleon Shop, leaving Team Flamberge waiting for their turn.

"What's the Darkest Day?"

Kazuya and Wesley looked to each other, as if asking, "Does she seriously not know?" The answer was, of course, yes.

"Back about fifteen years ago, a little before I was hatched, the skies turned black. Exploration Teams were sent out to investigate... and they never came back." Wesley explained. "It's never really been clear what happened. At least, nobody's willing to tell me."

"Machamp gave me a similar story." Kazuya said. "Something akin to a Legendary Pokémon going berserk was the version he told me."

"And then my black stone fell from the sky a couple days later, crashing into my family's house." Wesley added.

"We really should name that thing." Evie remarked.

"How about the Shooting Star?" Kazuya suggested. "After all, it did fall out the sky."

Wesley shrugged. "Sure."

"We're done!" Furret said, popping up next to Team Flamberge.

After the team decided on their purchases, Evie reached into the Treasure Bag to pay the Kecleon Brothers.

"Great. Forgot to get some money to actually buy anything." She said. "Gimme a moment."

Evie walked over to Thievul's Bank, only to get pulled off into a dark alley nearby.

"Apologies." Evie instantly recognized the voice. Marie. "I couldn't figure out a way to speak with you in private, without any combat interrupting us."

" _What do you want, Marie_?" Evie hissed, getting ready to fight.

"Merely to speak with you. Why... why are you here?" Marie asked.

"Could say the same to you, y'know."

"Fair enough. It's... something I can't divulge right now. I'm not the bad guy, no matter what it seems."

"You know what, not even gonna try to ask. I don't even know _why_ I was brought here. I barely even remember what happened before I got turned into a Pokémon!" Evie said, throwing her arms up into the air. "That's why I decided to form an Exploration Team with Kaz. So, I guess it's only fair for me to ask a question in return."

"Fine. What do you want to know?" Marie smiled, in that annoying fake way that you can tell is purely to mock the subject.

"Why don't you know what Pokémon are?" Evie questioned. "It's literally one of the biggest pieces of pop culture on Earth!"

Marie stared at her, baffled. "They're not just creatures native to this world?"

Evie stared at her in turn, equally confused. "What year is it?"

"Nineteen eighty eight. Why?"

"It just turned to twenty nineteen for me." Evie said. "Btdubs, Soviets lose the Cold War. And America doesn't improve in the slightest."

Marie remained silent for several seconds. "Interesting. So, the beings responsible for bringing humans to this world don't care about what period in time they're from."

"How long have you been here?" Evie asked. While she didn't particularly trust/like Marie, trying to strike up a kinship between the two of them couldn't really do any harm. "I got here... about an hour before you tried to kill me."

"I've been here for roughly a week longer than you. Changed form from a brown fox creature to this during said time."

"Huh. Well, I don't suppose you're willing to divulge anything else before I head back to my team?"

"I like the attempt, but no." Marie said, walking away deeper into the alley.

Evie headed on back to her team with some money.

"So, mind explain what took you so long?" Kazuya questioned, as Evie paid for their purchases (mostly just Oran Berries to heal up during battle).

"I... got a little distracted." Evie plainly answered. ' _Doesn't really feel fair to put a target on her back immediately after that little talk we had._ '

" _Right_..." Wesley said, clearly not buying the lie.

* * *

Today's mission was to head out into Slumbering Woods and retrieve a lost Luminous Orb for a Rookidee.

The teams ran into a Butterfree and a Vikavolt on the way over, just outside the woods itself.

"Good morning!" Wooloo said. "You two are a Rescue Team, right?"

"We're Team Flutterby, Normal Rank Rescue Team." Vikavolt answered. "I see you kids are part of an Exploration Team."

"Team Flamberge, at your service! And Team Fuzzball is Furret and Wooloo's team." Evie said. "So, you two are also heading into the Slumbering Woods?"

Butterfree nodded. "A Skwovet got lost in there and we need to get him out."

"Hey, why don't we travel together until we find what one of us is looking for?" Wesley suggested.

"Sure. Just don't stand in the line of fire." Vikavolt said.

* * *

Watching Team Flutterby take care of everything that approached was, as far as the kids were concerned, amazing. The duo of Butterfree and Vikavolt blasted every approaching Pokémon away long before they could become a threat. Butterfree kept everything disoriented, while Vikavolt unleashed Thunderbolt after Thunderbolt to put them down.

"That's power." Kazuya remarked, right as a Blipbug tried to attack him from behind. He spun around, slapping the bug away with his tail and charged up a Thunder Punch. Which ended up not getting a chance to hit its intended target, as Butterfree shot the Blipbug with a Psybeam and instantly fainted it.

"And killstealing." Evie added.

"Sorry! I just saw a target and fired!" Butterfree said, using Sleep Powder to neutralize a Caterpie.

"Did we even need to come here?" Wooloo wondered. "Those two have everything handled."

"Well, we still got our job to do." Wesley said. "Rookidee is counting on us to find his lost item."

* * *

They ended up running into a particularly powerful Raticate, forcing Team Flutterby onto the defensive.

"Guess it's time. Butterfree, you know what to do!" Vikavolt said.

Butterfree glowed, changing form. Her wings grew larger and shifted to a greenish shimmering color.

"Whoa... what the heck did she do?" Evie asked.

"You don't know about the G-Max Factor?" Kazuya questioned. He quickly remembered who he was talking to. "Right. Anyway, after the Darkest Day, some Pokémon were altered by the energies emitted during it. They could transform into these 'G-Max' forms, powering themselves up and gaining access to stronger moves."

A Max Airstream blasted the Raticate into a tree, nearly blowing Evie and her friends off their feet. Vikavolt merely chose to charge up a Thunder, taking aim to wipe out the Raticate.

"Like that." Kazuya said. A Wonder Orb, presumptuously dropped by the Raticate, rolled by his feet. Evie picked the thing up, feeling a surge of new information come to her.

It told her what it was; a Luminous Orb, and went into detail about how to use it and what it did. Evie shook her head, coming back to reality. "We got Rookidee's Luminous Orb!" She cheered. "Or, at least, _a_ Luminous Orb."

"We're heading out of the forest, Team Flutterby!" Wooloo shouted, tapping his Exploration Team Badge and warping out. The rest of the kids followed suit.

* * *

When they returned to the guild, they found Cramorant speaking with a trio of Pokémon.

A Glaceon, an Empoleon, and a Coalossal.

"And those five are our newest recruits! Team Flamberge; comprised of Evie, Kazuya, and Sobble, and Team Fuzzball; comprised of Wooloo and Furret." Cramorant said. "Kids, meet Team Buckler."

"Hello, Evie." Marie said, doing that saccharine smile that Evie was growing to hate. "It's been a moment."

" _Hi_." Evie growled. "What brings you to the guild?" She asked, faking a smile.

"Isn't it obvious? We are here to assist in the coming expedition. Rust Isle is probably a dangerous place, and Mister Cramorant felt it was best to hire some help." Marie explained. Evie really wanted to punch her.

"Long time no see." Kazuya remarked, looking up at Empoleon.

"Same to you." Empoleon said, smirking. Well, as much as one with a beak could.

"Next time, things _will_ be different." Kazuya stated.

Furret leaned over to Wesley, whispering. " _What's their deal_?"

" _Dunno._ " Wesley whispered back.

"Well, we probably should get settled in before dinner." Marie said. "I've got a general gist of this place."

And then she proceeded to walk in the opposite direction of the dorms.

"Other way!" Empoleon called.

Evie snorted, causing Marie to glare at her. " _You didn't see that_."

* * *

Tensions were clear throughout dinner and right up until Team Flamberge went back to their room. Team Fuzzball followed them, wanting to ask a question.

"So, what _was_ that all about?" Wooloo asked. "You and Glaceon, err, Marie, have been shooting glares at each other and generally being on edge since you saw each other."

"Back when I first arrived here, Kazuya and I got attacked by Marie and her friends. Gave me a really nasty case of frostbite." Evie explained.

"But, you're a Fire-Type." Wesley pointed out.

"She's strong. Really, really, really strong. Like, Perrserker wouldn't have a chance against her."

"So, the question remains." Kazuya said. "Why is she here?"

"I... had a talk with her earlier today, when I took awhile getting money from Thievul's Bank. She's a former human, like me, but... she's not from the same time as me."

"You... encountered her and didn't tell me?" Kazuya questioned.

"It's just... she was being nice! I didn't feel right trying to stab her in the back immediately after our talk. She... doesn't think she's the bad guy."

"Do you think she's tellin' the truth?" Furret asked. "Cuz', that sounds super-duper fishy."

"Maybe? She's untrustworthy, sure, but she didn't seem to be lying. If I were to hazard a guess..."

"You think she's being manipulated." Wesley guessed.

Evie nodded. "But, who is manipulating her? And to what end?"

* * *

Marie sat down in her room, pulling a Communication Orb (a Wonder Orb capable of long distance contact between others of its type) out of her bag and setting it down on the table.

"Apologies for the wait, _Master_." Her tone as she spoke showed her disdain for the title. "Infiltration has been successful, and those fools in Cramorant and Flapple don't know a thing."

" _Good work, Glaceon._ "

"It's Marie. If you want me to keep calling you 'Master', then you are going to call me by name." Marie stated.

" _Gather information on where the Wishing Stars are, Glaceon._ "

Marie sighed, annoyed. At least acknowledge what she said, even if you're going to ignore. "Understood."

The Communication Orb shut off, leaving her in the dark.

' _You're lucky I need you for what I_ _want._ '


	7. A Day Off

"Three! Smiles go for miles!"

With the morning cheer concluded, it was time for Flapple to make an announcement.

"After much deliberation, I have determined who will be coming along for the expedition!" Cheers resounded throughout the room. "Yeah, I know, it's exciting, but please calm down. Without any further ado... Cramorant, tell them for me while I go take a nap."

Flapple flew back into his room, leaving Cramorant to clean up. Cramorant produced the roster Flapple had written up for the expedition.

"Let's see... well, it should come as no surprise that Team Buckler will be joining us for the expedition, given that's why they're here." Cramorant said. "You three, please come to my side."

"With pleasure, sir." Marie said, doing as requested. Evie glared at her.

"Surprisingly enough, Team Fuzzball is next on the list! You two should be honored."

"Let's just hope Furret doesn't sink the entire island or something." Wooloo remarked, walking over to Cramorant with his teammate.

"Sadly, that is a very real possibility with her. Anyway, we have... Morpeko and Dottler!"

"Yes!" Morpeko cheered. "Ah get ta go on the expedition with y'all!"

"The data gathered will be... quite interesting." Dottler said.

"And last, but certainly not least, Team Flamberge will be coming as well." Cramorant concluded.

Evie bounced up into the air, giddy.

"Thank you for the opportunity to come along, Msiter Cramorant." Kazuya said, bowing.

"Well, that's it for the roster. We intend to head out tomorrow, so get your things together and rest up until then. Anyone who isn't coming, you know your jobs." Cramorant said.

* * *

The first thing Team Flamberge did was head out into Avalon to make sure they had enough supplies to last them through the expedition.

"Ah, Team Flamberge!" Mr. Rime called, walking up to them with something in his hand. "I finished those scarves you kids wanted!"

He handed Evie the goods in question, ten red scarves with a sword emblem embroidered on them.

The trio instantly donned their new scarves. Evie and Kazuya tied theirs around their necks like normal people, while Wesley decided to tie his around his tail like a cute little bow. They then pinned the Exploration Team Badges to the scarves.

Evie spun on her heel, doing a pose. "We look awesome! Thanks, Mr. Rime!"

"I should still be thanking you for retrieving my cane." Mr. Rime said. "Without it, my entire routine was thrown out of wack!"

And then he tap-danced away, leaving Evie and the others to sit there, confused.

"What does he even _do_?" Evie wondered.

Kazuya shrugged. "No clue."

"Me neither." Wesley shook his head.

* * *

After gathering up their supplies for the expedition, Team Flamberge headed back to the guild. Specifically, one of the training rooms.

"So, why exactly did you want us to come here?" Kazuya asked.

"We need to get everything straightened out, battling-wise." Evie explained. "What exactly each of us is supposed to do, inform each other of what we know, and figure all that stuff out. Basic stuff I did when I played Pokémon competitively."

Wesley tilted his head in confusion, clearly wanting to ask.

The Scorbunny sighed. "Right, so, in the human world, Pokémon are the subject in a popular game series where you capture them and make them fight."

"That's- that's horrible!" Wesley said, after a short silence.

"There's lore and stuff saying they're fine with it, but yeah, it's kinda messed up when you're actually a Pokémon. Anyway, what exactly do you do in combat? I guessed you're a Special Attacker, but I've been wrong before about stat spreads."

"I shoot things...?" Wesley said, hoping that was what Evie meant.

"Perfect! What do you got for moves?"

"Water Pulse, Mud Shot, Tearful Look, and Sucker Punch are my main things, but I've got a couple I've been trying to perfect lately."

"Great. Okay, so, Wesley sits at the back and pelts the bad guys with ranged stuff while... Kazuya, you're still decent at range, right?"

"Serviceable." Kazuya said. "Thunder Shock and Thunder Wave should at least annoy our enemies." Kazuya informed.

"All right. So, Kazuya will keep up the pressure at mid-range, movin' in and out of the fray to beat 'em up at close and long range. And that leaves me, who'll be keeping up the pressure at short range. Pretty sure Scorbunny is a Physical Sweeper, so that should work out fine." Evie said. "So, let's have a test battle, to get the idea down for me and Wesley. Kazuya, you can take us both on fine, right?"

Kazuya smirked, dropping down onto all-fours. "In my sleep."

"We'll see about that. Wesley, you know what do! Let's begin!" Evie called, rushing at Kazuya. He stepped to the side, avoiding her Quick Attack.

[(Overdrive - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency OST)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVNRYQ10IXk)

Kazuya instantly went onto the offensive, kicking Evie in the gut and knocked her back. He jumped up, dodging Wesley's Mud Shot, and immediately went after the Sobble. Wesley attempted a Sucker Punch, which Kazuya easily avoided and countered with a Thunder Punch.

That never hit its intended target, as Evie kicked him in the back and threw off his concentration. Wesley blasted him point-blank with a Water Pulse, forcing the Pikachu back.

"Not bad." Kazuya complimented, jumping back to dodge Evie's Blaze Kick. "Let's kick this up a notch, shall we?"

Kazuya's fur sparked with electricity, as he lunged at Wesley for another Thunder Punch faster than ever. Wesley's eyes welled up with tears, causing Kazuya to hesitate for an instant. Said instant was all Evie needed to strike with a Quick Attack, knocking Kazuya to the side. She went into close-quarters combat with the Pikachu, swinging kick after kick in an attempt to actually do some real damage. Kazuya ducked under a high Blaze Kick, sweeping her other leg out from under her with his tail. He followed up with a Thunder Punch, smacking her into the far wall.

Kazuya then switched targets, rushing at Wesley with a Quick Attack. Wesley started crying, dropping to the floor. The Pikachu skidded to a stop in front of him, tapping the Sobble with a poke charged with electricity. Not enough to hurt, mind you, but plenty to annoy.

"I guess that means I win?" Kazuya asked.

"Jeez, Kazuya. I didn't realize how strong you are." Evie said, groaning.

"Trust me, there's reason why we didn't have any problems in the Burnt Cave." Kazuya smirked. "Even still, there's opponents I can't beat yet. Perrserker..."

"Well, that's why you have us, right?" Wesley said. "We back you up so you can shine, and you do the same for us. That's what being part of a team is all about."

"Nice bit of wisdom, Wes." Kazuya said. "Come up with that yourself?"

"Something my mom once told me when talking about her adventures." Wesley answered. "Anyway, we should probably rest up. We've got a big day ahead of us."

"Our first expedition." Evie said, shuddering with excitement. "Let's make sure it's one to remember."

"With you and Furret around, it's certain to be a memorable one." Kazuya remarked. "Let's just hope it's for the right reasons."

' _Yeah. I... why do I feel anxious?_ ' Evie internally wondered. She saw... something blue move in the corner of her eye, by the door. It was gone the moment she turned to look, but she swore there had to be something there. ' _Maybe I'm just tired._ '

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Overdrive is Kazuya's theme. It just vibes with his personality.


	8. Rust Isle's Mysteries

Team Flamberge headed out to Crown's main port, ready to disembark alongside their fellow guild members. It was super early in the morning, and Evie was barely awake.

Which was probably the explanation behind... the blue wolf she saw, hiding just out of sight for everyone else behind a building. She blinked, and the wolf was gone.

"You okay, Evie?" Kazuya asked.

The Scorbunny yawned. "Just... a bit groggy. I think."

"Well, make sure you wake yourself up in time for us to land." Marie said, standing behind them.

Evie glared at her, as the Glaceon walked past her towards the ship. The ship they were taking was a fairly nice vessel, a mid-sized steamboat with a white paint job.

"Good morning, ocean!" Furret shouted, standing on the bow of the ship. Wooloo then grabbed onto her tail with his teeth, pulling her off before she would inevitably hurt herself.

"It's going to be nice to be out on the ocean." Wesley said, boarding the boat alongside the rest of Team Flamberge. "I've been out a couple times when I was younger, but now I get to be going somewhere important!"

Evie nodded. She still felt antsy about _something_.

* * *

As it turned out, the antsiness ended up being replaced by something else once they finally set off.

Seasickness.

Kazuya laughed. "Didn't bring your sea legs?"

"Not-" Evie retched, feeling bile try its hardest to escape her body. "Funny!"

Marie sighed, standing near Kazuya. "Looks like your teammate's having the same problem." She said, gesturing vaguely to Coalossal. Like the Scorbunny, Coalossal was busy battling with seasickness.

"Aren't we enemies?" Kazuya pointed out.

"Not right now. Unless you attack us, we'll be leaving you and your friends alone until otherwise noted." Marie said. "I'd prefer to get this done without conflict, but..."

"Let me guess, you have to."

Marie nodded. "So, for now, let's just bury the hatchet. That is still a saying here, right?"

" _I have no idea what that means_." Kazuya sarcastically said.

And then he heard Evie spill her guts off the side of the ship into the water. The water where Wesley and Empoleon were swimming in, to be exact.

"Evie, are you okay?" Cramorant asked, flying over to check on the Scorbunny.

"I-" Evie puked again. "Could prolly do with some medicine..."

"I'll say!" Wesley shouted from the water. "Some of that stuff got in my mouth!"

Evie immediately had to duck to dodge Wesley's Water Pulse.

Kazuya laughed. "Well, looks like I have to go defuse a situation between teammates." He said, running off to go make sure Wesley doesn't kill Evie before they even reach Rust Isle.

Marie smiled, before hearing Empoleon blast a Hydro Pump at Evie. "Penguin, stop!" She shouted. It'd make her seem like a real jerk if her teammate immediately attacked Evie after saying she's calling a truce for now.

* * *

Some time later, they finally saw it. Rust Isle. The island was made almost entirely of metal, with what looked to be brass plates bolted onto pretty much every surface besides the sandy beach they were going to be setting anchor near. As a whole, it looked like one gigantic factory set atop a desert island.

"Amazing..." Furret muttered, awed by the sight.

Wooloo nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Unreal to think something like this even exists, let alone that we're going to explore it."

"Do you think that place actually has a purpose, or is it just cool aesthetic thing?" Evie asked, nudging Wesley.

"Dunno. I heard its supposed kidnap and grind up bad Pokémon who don't eat their veggies, but I'm fairly certain that's just a fairy tale." Wesley said.

"I just want to see what Pokémon lie inside." Kazuya said, punching his forelegs together. "And beat them."

Marie remained silent, in awe. Pokémon have the technology to do these things?

"I've been around once back when I was a Prinplup." Empoleon said. "Nearly got killed by a Steelix. While I was underwater."

"Don't worry, bud. I'll blast any Steelix that comes too close." Coalossal assured, patting his teammate on the back.

* * *

Once everyone got to shore, Cramorant and Flapple gave them their orders.

"And now, we begin exploring the island to find its secrets." Flapple said, yawning. "Crams and I'll be looking around from the sky."

"Dottler, Morpeko, can I trust you two to take care of Teams Fuzzball and Flamberge?" Cramorant asked.

"Understood. I will not let you down." Dottler stated, scuttling over to Team Fuzzball.

"Got it, Mister Cramorant!" Morpeko saluted, before walking over to Team Flamberge. "Looks like y'all are gonna be joined by me fer the time bein'."

"Just, don't fall behind." Kazuya said.

"Wasn't plannin' on it."

Evie eyed around, while Cramorant continued his briefing. The factory only looked bigger up close, at least twenty stories high. That probably means there'll be a lot of stair climbing. The lack of windows was, a little unsettling. Means that it'll be hard to get out once they start climbing higher. Maybe they could smash some of the plates loose? 

Flapple and Cramorant took off, leaving the kids to their own devices.

"So, where should we start?" Furret wondered, looking around. There were a couple entrances along the side they were on, and it was likely there were more along the other walls.

"We should scan the perimeter first before heading in." Dottler stated, scuttling along the beach to get a lay of the land. Wooloo and Furret followed.

"Marie, which way are you and your team going?" Evie asked. "Splitting up should help us cover more ground, and make sure we don't kill each other."

"I'm going in through the right." Marie stated. "Let's see who finds the treasure first, shall we?"

" _You're on_." Evie smirked. "Let's go, team!"

Team Flamberge (and Morpeko) headed inside, finding themselves in a hall with pipes lining the walls. Evie guessed they probably had steam coursing through them, but wasn't particularly interested in breaking one open and getting blasted in the face for it.

"Keep on the lookout for any secret switches." Evie said, scrutinizing the hall as they continued down it. "These kinds of place always have some weird trick to 'em."

"I doubt it. Who puts some sort of secret in the hallway you come in from?" Wesley pointed out.

Morpeko sniffed the air. "Ah don't smell anythin' weird."

"Huh. Well, let's keep going onward!" Evie declared, speeding up her walk.

* * *

Meanwhile, Team Fuzzball and Dottler made it inside through the back entrance, and came into a room full of conveyor belts. The only way forward was to navigate the belts, jumping from one to another to make it to the door on the other side.

"Whee!" Or do whatever Furret was doing, riding along a belt that led straight into a wall. Much to Wooloo and Dottler's surprise, the panel she was about to hit flipped up to let her through.

"Did she just find a secret route by accident?" Wooloo asked.

"It appears so. Either that or it's a death trap and we need to pull her out." Dottler said, jumping onto the belt Furret took. Wooloo stepped onto it a moment later, following after them.

Wooloo found himself in a dark room, sitting on top of something fuzzy.

"Mind getting off me, you guys?" Furret requested. The circles on Dottler's shell lit up, giving the three some much needed light. Wooloo and Dottler had landed on top of Furret, who squirmed her way out from under the boys. They took stock of the room, which was apparently a stairwell that led up further into the factory.

"Well done, Furret." Dottler said. "You found an alternate path." He began climbing the stairs, jumping from step to step.

"You were goofing off, weren't you?" Wooloo said, looking at Furret.

"I mean, sorta." Furret shrugged. "Like, fifty percent goof, fifty percent exploring."

Wooloo sighed. He really hoped the others were doing good.

* * *

Marie sidestepped a Flash Cannon from a Klink, giving it an Ice Beam for its trouble. The Klink didn't take much damage, and wasn't even frozen over. Coalossal leapt in to grab it, slamming it into the ground and following up with a point-blank Flamethrower.

"Thank you, Minecart." Marie said. "He didn't take nearly as much damage as I expected."

"I mean, you are attacking a Steel-Type with an Ice-Type move." Empoleon pointed out, before blasting away an incoming Bronzor with a Hydro Pump.

"Explain."

"Basic Type effectiveness?" Empoleon said, before realizing who he was talking to. "Right, former human. Ice-Type moves don't work as well on Steel-Types as others, like Ghost or Water. Which, you could easily have."

"I'll look into it when we get back."

"I did pick up a Pokémon encyclopedia back when we joined the guild. I intended to give it to you sooner, but the expedition came faster than anticipated."

"Much appreciated. Let's keep moving." Marie ordered, continuing onwards down the hall they were in.

* * *

Team Flamberge (plus Morpeko) entered into the largest room of the building, an enormous chamber with networks of pipes criss-crossing throughout to make 'catwalks' at every conceivable height.

Morpeko whistled, impressed. "Whoever built this place got an eye fer style."

"I'll say." Kazuya remarked, mentally marking out a path up. The most obvious route was to climb from pipe to pipe, making their way up to a doorway near the top of the room.

"Huh." Wesley idly muttered, piecing together the fastest path. "How are Pokémon like Wooloo supposed to make it any farther?"

"Well, if I know the kind of things hidden in these places, making sure it's as annoying as possible is the actual point." Evie said. "Let's get goin'."

[(Spear of Justice - Undertale OST)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTy9v9a7Tmo)

"Not so fast!" A Pokémon declared. A Rookidee swooped down from above, dead set on plowing into Evie. Who merely jumped to the side, evading the attack. Rookidee crashed into the wall behind her.

Kazuya laughed. "First resistance we find and she nearly takes herself out."

Rookidee picked herself back up, glaring at the team. "You're not making it any further! Kiss your chances of stealing the treasure within goodbye!"

"What even _is_ the treasure?" Evie asked.

"Like I'd ever tell you!" Rookidee swung her wing, creating an Air Slash that she sent at Evie. Evie flipped to the side, narrowly dodging. And the she got a wing slammed into her gut while she was distracted, knocking her back.

"Oww..." Evie groaned. "Right. Team, you know your roles! Morpeko, just do what you do best, whatever that is!" She ordered, rushing in with a Quick Attack.

Rookidee flew up and over the Scorbunny's attack, getting ready for another Air Slash. Only for Morpeko to smash into her with a full-force Aura Wheel. Rookidee crashed into a pipe, bending the metal. Morpeko's fur shifted color, the yellow changing to purple, and she growled.

Morpeko leapt after Rookidee, barely missing as the bird swooped down to get out of the way. Instead of taking a chunk out of Rookidee, Morpeko bit into the pipe behind her and tearing through it without any trouble.

Rookidee became surrounded with a burning aura, as she crashed into Evie with a Brave Bird. Or tried to, only for Kazuya to leap into the way and strike with a Thunder Punch that got narrowly avoided by Rookidee as she swerved around him in an attempt to keep going after Evie. Evie used the extra time to charge up a Blaze Kick and clash her foot against Rookidee's body.

The two attacks met with practically equal force, knocking both fighters back. Rookidee didn't have much time to recover, instantly taking off in order to avoid Wesley's Water Pulse. She shot off another Air Slash, flying up to get out of Team Flamberge's collective reach. 

Kazuya jumped from pipe to pipe, trying to give chase. He dodged Rookidee's second Air Slash, watching as it sheared through the pipe he was standing on. A burst of steam sent him off the pipe, falling to the ground.

Thankfully, Wesley caught him. "Looks like you're, _falling_ for me." He joked, before looking up. Rookidee dove into the doorway near the ceiling, retreating from the fight.

(Music end)

Morpeko sighed, turning back to her normal colors. "C'mon, y'all! Let's go after her! If anyone knows where the 'treasure' is, it'll be her!" She jumped up onto a pipe, trying to figure out a path up. Rookidee's Air Slashes did quite a number on the room, having wrecked the pipes that led to the way out.

"Only question is, how?" Kazuya wondered. He was agile, sure, but he didn't really have the faith in that footing to try going up. "She's smart enough to cut off our pursuit. I doubt that the rest of the path would be intact even _if_ we got up there."

All eyes were on Evie, who was wracking her brain trying to think of what to do. "We-"

A ding made her stop, mostly out of confusion. That sounded like an-

"Hey guys!" Furret called. A panel on a nearby wall had flipped up to reveal a decent-sized work elevator, where Furret, Wooloo, and Dottler were standing. "I found a shortcut!"

"It's a long story." Wooloo said. "Hop in, and we'll take this thing as far up as we can."

Team Flamberge ran in, and Furret hit the button to go to the highest floor. The elevator made a squeaking noise (likely from rust), and started moving up.

"Nice find." Kazuya said.

"After Furret discovered a secret room, we found a stairway that ended up leading to this marvel of machinery." Dottler stated. "'Nice find' indeed."

Evie pulled out a couple of Apples from her Treasure Bag. "You guys are hungry too, right? I'd like to let Morpeko make this into something nicer, but not exactly the time."

Morpeko grabbed one, slicing it into quarters with her (tiny) claws. "Fair 'nuff. Remind to make something _really_ good fer y'all when we get back home."

"Noted." Wesley remarked, taking a peek into Team Flamberge's Treasure Bag. Still haven't used much in the way of supplies, so they should be fine. "I'll be holding you to that one."

A ding sounded, informing them that they've reached their stop. The door opened, leading into a hallway; the middle of one to be exact.

"So, I guess we split up from here again?" Evie suggested.

"Looks like it." Wooloo said. "We go right and you go left?"

"Sounds like a plan!" Evie said, running off. Her team quickly followed, hoping to find the treasure of Rust Isle.

Wooloo sighed. "Let's get moving."

Team Fuzzball (plus Dottler) headed down the hall.

* * *

Team Flamberge came into a large room with a statue in the center. The only way forward was through an ornate metal door behind the statue.

Kazuya immediately went to push the door open, only to find it sealed. "No good. Won't budge an inch."

Evie looked up at the statue, thinking. It was a statue of Registeel, with a small plaque in front of it. "Hey, come over here!"

Kazuya ran over, looking at the plaque. It was written in... raised dots? "Does anybody know how to read this? Does anybody even know what this _is_?"

"'Those who inherit our will, shine in the middle.'" Evie read aloud, much to everyone's respective surprise. "It's Braille, a language used so the blind can read. I know how to read it on sight from Emerald."

"Who's that?" Morpeko asked.

"I'll explain later. Anyway, the solution is to use Flash in the middle of the room." Evie said. "Kaz, please tell me you know Flash."

Kazuya nodded. "You probably want to cover your eyes."

A bright light shined from Kazuya's cheeks. A click sounded, and the doors slowly swung open.

"Amazing!" Wesley said. "Wonder how it works."

"Doesn't matter. 'Peko, you get the others. We'll go on ahead." Evie said.

"Be careful out there!" Morpeko said, as Team Flamberge continued deeper without her. She sped off with Aura Wheel.

"You sure that was the right move?" Kazuya asked.

"She's a pretty good battler. We could have used the extra assistance." Wesley pointed out.

"I know we're strong enough to face basically anything that comes our way." Evie said. "And everyone else, even Marie, should join in on seeing whatever the treasure is."

' _Especially if it helps me find my missing memories._ '


	9. The Real Treasure of Rust Isle

As Team Flamberge headed up a staircase to the next floor, they felt a familiar sense of space shifting.

"There's a Mystery Dungeon up here?" Wesley questioned, shocked. "I suppose it makes sense. After all, I have theorized that new Mystery Dungeons were created during the Darkest Day, based on the timings of discoveries. So, a place connected to such an event would have one, logically speaking."

They came to the top of the stairs, seeing what the Mystery Dungeon truly looked like. An enormous chamber, well beyond the size of anything else within Rust Isle, with at least twelve levels of catwalks that surrounded a central pillar with bridges sticking out of it.

"This is a Mystery Dungeon?!" Evie exclaimed. She was expecting a boring 'climb X number of floors', not... this.

"I mean, the distortion here would be stronger, if my hypothesis is correct. So, something like grander like this only makes sense." Wesley said. "I wonder if Dottler has any-"

Kazuya looked up, trying to find the exit. "All that big brain stuff can wait. Let's find our way to the top."

They came up to the central pillar, finding a switch on it. There were several colored lights sitting above it, meant to signal something. Evie pulled the switch, causing the pillar to rise up and bring them with it.

"Huh. I get it!" Evie said. "We need to find switches to light up the lights and let the pillar go higher up!"

"Found the next one!" Kazuya said, pointing to a lever sitting on a catwalk a fair distance away.

* * *

Team Fuzzball's path down the hall led to a dead end, much to their confusion.

"Looks like we went the wrong way." Wooloo said.

"Unless..." Furret ran up to the wall and pushed on it, trying to open up a secret path. "Nope! Ain't gonna budg-"

And then the wall got smashed open by Coalossal, sending Furret flying into Wooloo. Marie walked through the newly created hole, stepping over the shards of metal left on the floor. "I _knew_ it. This had to be the only way forward, with the path looping in on itself so many times." And then she noticed Furret and Wooloo. "Oh, sorry. I didn't think anybody had actually made it past us yet."

"I told you we should have at least shouted a warning first." Empoleon said.

"Well, what's done is done." Coalossal said. "Let's get movin'!"

Another explosion rang out, as a wall in the room Team Buckler had just come out of got blasted open by Flapple and Cramorant. Flapple yawned after landing, happy to not have to continue hovering over the factory for any longer. "We prolly should just done this from the start." He remarked. "How's it been, kids?"

Furret shrugged. "Pretty well, I think? Haven't found much _treasure_ , but I did find a secret passage that might lead to some!"

"And Team Flamberge was heading that way..." Wooloo remembered. "Well, looks like they'll be finding the treasure this time."

Morpeko skidded to a stop behind them. "They went on ahead and told me to get y'all." She said. "Follow me."

* * *

Evie sighed, coming back to the center pillar again after pulling a lever. Turns out there were more levers than expected and half of them were dummy levers that would reset their progress for the floor. And they didn't have any other Pokémon on the floor, which meant that any reset progress didn't even net them a chance for more experience.

"Please tell me we're done?" Evie said. Wesley was designated as the one to stay behind and make sure they were making progress, and he was beaming.

"Yep! Kazuya, you can come back to us!" Wesley called. Kazuya returned to the center in a flash, pulling the lever and raising the pillar one last time.

They finally saw the exit, a large doorway with red and black accents. It... really clashed with the general aesthetic of Rust Isle as a whole, and raised questions regarding what was hiding beyond this point.

"Let's go!"

* * *

Team Flamberge came into another large room, finding themselves out of the Mystery Dungeon. The room shook, as something approached.

"Please don't tell me..." Evie muttered.

"I don't like that sound." Wesley said, keeping his focus on the way ahead. Something was coming. Something big, and powerful.

Kazuya grinned, ready for the coming battle.

* * *

Morpeko brought the others back to the statue room. The door had sealed itself shut while she was gone.

"The solution is ta use Flash in the middle of the room, on top of the statue." Morpeko informed.

While Dottler climbed up to do so, Furret asked Cramorant a question. "What kinda Pokémon is that?"

"That's Registeel, one of the Legendary Titans." Cramorant answered.

"Wow. How strong is it?"

"If I remember the legends correctly, near insurmountable. A nigh-destructible body, hyper intelligence, and power that only matched by the other Titans."

Morpeko came to a horrifying realization. "What should you do if ya were ta, I dunno, fight it?"

"Out of the question! No Pokémon could ever beat Registeel! While we're a powerful group, I doubt our chances would be great. The only possible course would be to run. Run as fast as possible and never return."

* * *

The Pokémon that stood before Team Flamberge ended up being none other than Registeel itself.

Evie stood strong. Registeel might be powerful, but so were they. As long as they stuck to their roles and played it smart, they might be able to pull out of this without getting killed.

[(North Wind/Sonic vs. Knuckles - Sonic Fighters OST)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9AJKgVb3hY)

And Kazuya instantly lunged in, going for a Thunder Punch.

" **THREAT DETECTED: FIRING FLASH CANNON.** " Registeel stated, unleashing a Flash Cannon at Kazuya. He darted to the side, narrowly avoiding the shot. The blast hit the wall behind him, blasting a hole clean through it. Kazuya stared at the hole in shock for a moment, before jumping back to avoid an Iron Head.

"Remember your roles!" Evie called out, rushing in with a fist ablaze. Her Fire Punch didn't really do much, it grazed Registeel as he repositioned himself, but it felt good to actually hit the Legendary Titan. She saw the Flash Cannon coming, sliding under it and between Registeel's legs to get behind him. She spun around, swinging a Blaze Kick for Registeel's backside. Registeel didn't even flinch from the blow, turning around to slash a Metal Claw at the Scorbunny.

Evie barely ducked under the attack, stepping back after to piece together a proper plan. Registeel's defenses were split evenly between Physical and Special, so the only thing to be extra damage is super effective moves. It's offenses weren't great, especially for a fully-evolved Pokémon, but still way above theirs. "Wesley, use Mud Shot as much as possible! Kaz, keep his focus split between you and me!" Evie shouted, jumping up to avoid another Metal Claw and landing on top of Registeel.

Wesley nodded, firing off a Mud Shot at Registeel's behind. Registeel threw Evie off his head, turning his focus to Wesley. " **LOCK-ON INITIATED.** " Registeel's eyes glowed, creating a crosshair marker on Wesley's back. " **FIRING ZAP CANNON.** "

Kazuya instantly realized what was going to happen, rushing to Wesley as Registeel shot a ball of lightning at the Sobble. Wesley immediately got to running, hoping he could dodge it. The ball followed Wesley, the effect of Lock-On. Kazuya's tail turned to metal, and he brought down upon the Zap Cannon to stop it before it could hit Wesley.

"Thanks." Wesley said. The crosshair marker faded, leaving Wesley free to dodge again. "How're we gonna beat this guy?"

Registeel fired a Flash Cannon at them, forcing them to dodge. "Just keep hitting him until his body gives out." Kazuya said. He let loose with a blast of electricity, a Thunder Wave to try and slow Registeel down. It hit true without any resistance, which only served to spark more fear in the Pikachu. Registeel may be strong enough that even Paralysis isn't a real disadvantage against Team Flamberge.

Kazuya steeled himself, rushing in for a Thunder Punch. He jumped up and over a Metal Claw, slamming his fist down on the titan's head. Before Registeel could strike back, Kazuya sprung off him and shot off a Thunder Shock. Evie moved in to take over the up-close offensive, striking with a Quick Attack.

Registeel spun around, backhanding Evie in the wall. The metal plate came loose, falling off down to the ground outside. The Scorbunny picked herself up, dazed. Registeel fired another Flash Cannon at her, intent on taking her out.

Kazuya moved on instinct, using Quick Attack to slam into Evie's side and push her out of the way before ducking under the blast. The Flash Cannon missed, streaking through the sky into the distance. "Anyone else getting sick of this guy?" Kazuya asked.

"Yes!" Both Evie and Wesley said.

"Let's just go on the offensive hope that we can overwhelm him before he can takes us out." Evie said. Wearing him down didn't really seem like an option at this point, given how little damage Registeel's been showing. "Team Flamberge, let's do this!"

Evie took the lead, running in with her feet ablaze. She jumped up over a Zap Cannon, landing a flaming axe kick on Registeel's head and another kick for good measure before jumping off and giving Kazuya an opening.

He struck with a Brick Break to the leg, forcing Registeel off-balance and giving Wesley enough time to fire a Water Pulse that hit directly. Registeel swung a Metal Claw at Kazuya, only to get a Sucker Punch from Wesley instead. It didn't do much damage, but _boy_ was it satisfying to interrupt a Legendary's attack like that. Evie leapt back into the fray, crashing into Registeel with a Quick Attack. She followed up with a Fire Punch, and then flipped to the side to avoid a point-blank Flash Cannon.

Kazuya blasted Registeel with a Thunder Shock, shocking the titan to his very core. Wesley shot a Mud Shot to back up Kazuya, and Evie added an Ember volley to the mix.

Registeel glowed. " **INITIATING EXPLOSION PROTOCOL. NONE SHALL BE ALLOWED TO REACH THE WISHING** **STAR.** "

"Run!" Evie shouted, sprinting down the hall Registeel came from. Kazuya and Wesley followed, on her tail as the fireball from Registeel's Explosion chased them down the corridor. They reached a room at the end of the hall, diving to the side and letting the blast pass by them.

Team Flamberge let out a collective sigh of relief. "Did- did we beat a Legendary Pokémon?" Wesley questioned. His breathing was uneven, in shock that they could've been able to do such a thing.

"Somehow." Kazuya said, looking down the corridor to make sure Registeel wasn't going to come barrelling at them and continue the fight.

"We did it, team!" Evie cheered. "Now, where's the treasure?"

"You will not take it." A new voice stated, standing behind them.

* * *

The rest of the guild finally made it past the Mystery Dungeon, running down the halls and finding Team Flamberge being menaced by a Corviknight. Evie and her friends looked exhausted, if mostly unharmed. 

"Who told you it was here?" Corviknight questioned, charging up for an Air Slash.

"It's been a while, huh, Knighty?" Flapple remarked.

Corviknight stopped. Only one Pokémon ever called her that. "Flapple?"

"In the flesh. And I'd like if you stopped botherin' my apprentices."

Corviknight laughed. "You, taking on apprentices? A lot has changed hasn't it?"

Flapple chuckled. "Guess it has, huh? It's been... fifteen years since we last saw each other. Since the Darkest Day."

"You two know each other?" Furret asked.

"Yes, well, all three of us were by the group that stopped the Darkest Day." Cramorant explained. "Flapple and I were the ones who stayed behind to make sure Crown was safe."

"I had went here, and am now safeguarding the treasure of this island from evildoers." Corviknight said. "I apologize for the misunderstanding. Did my daughter attack you too?"

"If you're talking about a Rookidee with enough energy to put my partner to shame, then yes." Kazuya said.

Right on cue, Rookidee came into the room through a tunnel near the ceiling, diving at Evie. Corviknight brought up a wing to shield Evie, causing Rookidee to swerve out of the way and into the wall. "Ow..." Rookidee groaned, picking herself back up. "Mom, why aren't you fightin' them?"

"They come in peace, my child." Corviknight answered. "Flapple is a trusted friend, and anyone he trusts is a friend of mine."

"So, what _is_ the treasure of Rust Isle?" Wooloo asked. "You've gone through a lot of trouble to hide it, so I imagine it's not just jewels or something like that."

" **CORRECT. IT IS SOMETHING FAR MORE POWERFUL.** " Registeel stated, standing behind them.

"You get back up fast." Evie said. "Didn't you say something about a Wishing Star?"

" **INDEED. THE TREASURE OF RUST ISLE IS CALLED A 'WISHING STAR'. I SUPPOSE THERE IS LITTLE REASON TO HIDE IT FROM YOU ALL, PROVIDED YOU PROMISE TO NEVER REVEAL THAT IT WAS HERE.** "

"I swear on my guild's honor, none of us will reveal its location without a truly good reason." Flapple said. "I assume none of you are going to fight me on that one."

Silence.

"Well, if that's the case, then I suppose letting you all see it should be fine." Corviknight said. "Honey, please stand guard here so no one else follows us."

Registeel merely beeped, turning around to face the hall they had come in from.

* * *

Corviknight led them to a large elevator, which went down below the factory.

While waiting for it to reach their destination, Evie noticed Marie was smiling.

"Looks like you're happy." She remarked.

"Oh, I'm just impressed." Marie said. "You kids managed to powerful foe like that thing."

"I'm twenty four." Evie pointed out. "How old are you?"

"You're twenty four?" Marie questioned. "You act like a child and you're three years older than me?"

There was a moment of silence as the gears turned in Evie's head. "You're barely old enough to drink." She realized.

"So? At least I'm not bouncing around like a child."

Kazuya stepped between them, pushing Evie away before she could retort. "Can we please keep the fighting to a minimum?" He asked. "Marie promised she'd leave us alone as long as we did the same. So, please don't do anything stupid."

"I was just gonna make fun of her some more. I'm apparently older than her, so now I get to flaunt my seniority over her."

"That seems really immature." Wesley said. "Kazuya's older than me and _he_ doesn't make fun of me for hatching after him."

"Well, yeah, but Marie's a jerk." Evie grumbled.

"I can still hear you." Marie pointed out.

Thankfully, the elevator reached its destination before the conversation could continue. They were now well beneath the factory, walking down a dark hall to the treasure chamber.

[(Beautiful Dead - Danganronpa OST)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgGfvizAj7U)

Once they came into the chamber, they were stunned by the sight. It was a cavern filled with crystals and ores, all sparkling with every color of the rainbow and then some. The light washed over them, bathing the Pokémon in colorful hues. The entire room had an air of peace, like all their worries were melting away under the light.

Up in the center of the room, levitating a few feet off the ground, they saw a black rock with glowing red lines. It... looked a lot like Wesley's Shooting Star.

Evie felt a small pain in the back of her head, and felt the wold fade away.

* * *

She saw herself as a human, speaking with a blue-haired man in the Subway. Must have been after her memories stopped.

"So, mister, I appreciate you buying my sandwich for me, but I'm not exactly interested in a date." Her past self said.

"I assure you, this is not a date." The blue-haired man said. "That was not why I wish to speak with you."

"Are you sure? Because people don't usually buy strangers their meals besides wanting to screw 'em."

"What do you know about the world of Pokémon?"

"I mean, it's my favorite game series, ever since I was a little kid."

"That makes this easier. My name is-"

* * *

Evie's memory cut out, bringing her back to reality.

"You okay, Evie?" Kazuya asked. "You kinda blanked out for a moment there."

" _I got part of my missing memory back_." Evie whispered.

Kazuya simply nodded. Best not discuss it while people not in the know are present.

"What is that thing?" Furret wondered, marveling at the black rock.

"That is a Wishing Star, a fragment of a Legendary Pokémon." Corviknight explained. "When it was defeated by Zacian and Zamazenta, shards of its body rained down across the world. In order to keep its power in safe hands and to prevent the Pokémon from returning, I am stationed here to protect Rust Isle's Wishing Star."

"Wait, if I'm reading your words right, you're saying there's more like it?" Wooloo asked.

"Yes. I do not know how many there are, or who protects them, but I know for a fact that there are more Wishing Stars out there." Corviknight said. "You all must take this knowledge to the grave, for if a bad Pokémon were to learn of its location, untold devastation would come to fruition."

"This thing's got _that_ kinda power?" Morpeko questioned, getting up close to look at the Wishing Star.

"It supposedly has the power to grant wishes, at cost of the wisher's mind."

Morpeko quickly stepped back.

"It's got more than just the power to grant wishes." Marie said. "I remember a bit of my past life now."

"Wait, you had amnesia?" Coalossal asked.

"Yes. I've been a tad, untruthful with you all. I am not just a Pokémon. I used to be a human, brought here with no memories of anything but my name and that one piece of knowledge about myself. But, seeing the Wishing Star... I remembered some of my life from back then."

"What did you remember?" Dottler asked.

"I had a husband I loved dearly." Marie said. Evie noticed that she was holding back tears. "If we find more Wishing Stars, maybe we can piece together why I was brought to this world."

"Well, if that's the case, then you can consider the job done." Flapple said. "We'll help you get back your memories."

"Thanks." Marie smiled. "You all are true friends. I suppose now is as good a time as any to leave."

"I, uh, have a question." Wesley said, fishing his Shooting Star out of the Treasure Bag. "Is this a Wishing Star?"

Corviknight inspected it for a few moments before answering. "It _was_. But, the power is drained from it. It's incapable of granting wishes anymore."

Wesley nodded in understanding. "Thank you! We'll be going now."

" _Actually_ , before you go," Corviknight said. "Could you all take my daughter with you?"

"Mom, I don't wanna go! I wanna stay and protect the Wishing Star with you!" Rookidee said.

"You could use an actual life, beyond just sitting around here cooped up for the rest of time." Corviknight said. "You can come to visit whenever you wish."

" _Fine_." Rookidee grumbled, before flying over to Team Flamberge. "I only know you guys, so I'm your problem now."

Evie sighed. "Of course."

And thus, the expedition of Rust Isle ended in an enormous failure. At least, that's what the guild officially said. In truth, it was a rousing success, even if they didn't get to take anything home with them. The apprentices came back home exhausted, and any discussion would have to be saved for tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there's our first arc complete! As a sort of celebration, here's my imagined voice actors if this was a proper show.
> 
> Evie: Erica Mendez (Atsuko Kagari, Little Witch Academia)
> 
> Kazuya: Dan Green (basically any of his roles)
> 
> Wesley: Colleen O'Shaughnessey (Miles 'Tails' Prower, Sonic Colors)
> 
> Furret: Christine Marie Cabanos (Mako Mankanshoku, Kill la Kill)
> 
> Wooloo: Bryce Papenbrook (Emiya Shirou, Fate Stay/Night Unlimited Blade Works)
> 
> Marie: Laura Bailey (Lust, Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
> 
> Cramorant: Doug Erholtz (Kasugai Crow, Demon Slayer)
> 
> Flapple: Dorothy Elias-Fahn (Chihiro Fujisaki, Danganronpa)
> 
> Rookidee: Samantha Ireland (Nora Valkyrie, RWBY)


End file.
